Antonio Machado's Critique of Castile and Spanish Identity

The Main Theme of Machado's Criticism

The main theme of this poem by Antonio Machado is a criticism of Spain at the time, primarily highlighting the negative attributes of both the characters and the region of Castile. The characters are depicted as "bad men capable of insane, brutal vice and crime, which (...) hide an ugly soul." Castile is defined as the "land of the eagle, a piece of the planet where the shadow of a fallen wanderer crosses." Machado presents a negative and hopeless vision of Castile and, by extension, Spain. He suggests that man, its inhabitant, destroys himself systematically by killing his neighbor and the vegetation, leaving behind a desolate void that reflects his pathetic soul.

The Destructive Nature of the Castilian Peasant

From the first line of Por tierras de España, we are exposed to the destructive nature of the Castilian peasant. He enters scenes of pine forests with fire, engaging in acts of killing and violent seizure, much like "spoils of war." Having previously worn down and cut down the trees through passionate and devastating operations, the man strips, rakes, and logs the pine, oak, and holm oak forests of the mountains. This illustrates the human impact on nature: the creation of a human landscape.

Cainism and the Generation of 98

This poem stands out for the numerous negative adjectives used to describe both the men of the field and Castile itself. The concept of cainismo (Cainism) is central—the assumption that man is evil by nature. This was a recurring theme among the authors of the Generation of 98. The analysis focuses on intrahistoria, where the real characters of the fields are seen as the true history of Spain. Consequently, the poem serves as a clear example of the theories regarding the Spanish man held by noventayochista authors.

Characters and the Concept of Intrahistoria

The characters appearing in this poem represent intrahistoria, a term coined by Miguel de Unamuno to describe the anonymous protagonists of history. Machado includes "the man in these fields," the "bad man of the field and village," the "son of a race," and "their poor children." Machado focuses on describing these characters as a faithful reflection of the harsh land in which they live.

Structure and Literary Symbols

Machado utilizes Alexandrine verses (fourteen syllables) distributed into quatrains with an ABAB rhyme scheme. Regarding literary devices, several similes and symbols are present:

• Similes: Examples include "spoils of war" or "in which they bow."
• Water: In the phrase "by the sacred rivers to the wide seas," water symbolizes the flow of life toward the sea, which represents death—a common trope in Spanish literature.
• The Journey: The "line of walkers" represents the journey through time and the various circumstances of life.
• The Afternoon: The "decline in the afternoon" is a classic Machado symbol for the end of life.
• Personification: "An ugly soul, a slave of the seven deadly sins" or "hurt and saddened her fortunes and misfortunes."
• Antithesis: "Save their prey and wage reaches the neighbor."